This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

3958 

Vol. 77, No. 17 

Thursday, January 26, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 900 

RIN 1901–AB18 

Coordination of Federal Authorizations 

for Electric Transmission Facilities 

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery 

and Energy Reliability, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of extension of public 

comment period. 

SUMMARY: This document announces 

that the period for submitting comments 

on the proposed rule for the 

coordination of Federal Authorizations 

for Electric Transmission Facilities has 

been extended until February 27, 2012. 

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, 

and information regarding the proposed 

coordination rule published December 

13, 2011 (76 FR 77432) until February 

27, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Any comments submitted 

must be identified as comments on the 

‘‘Proposed 216(h) Regulations’’. 

Comments may be submitted using any 

of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Email: Brian.Mills@hq.doe.gov. 

Include ‘‘Proposed 216(h) Regulations’’ 

in the subject line of the message. 

• Mail: Brian Mills, Office of 

Electricity Delivery and Energy 

Reliability (OE–20), U.S. Department of 

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20585. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian Mills, Office of Electricity 

Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE–20), 

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585, Phone (202) 

586–8267, email Brian.Mills@hq.doe.

gov, or Lot Cooke, Attorney-Advisor, 

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the 

General Counsel, GC–76, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585, Phone (202) 

586–0503, email Lot.Cooke@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 13, 2011, DOE published a 

proposed rule in the Federal Register 

(76 FR 77432) to amend its regulations 

for the timely coordination of Federal 

authorizations for proposed interstate 

electric transmission facilities pursuant 

to section 216(h) of the Federal Power 

Act (FPA). The proposed rule provided 

for the submission of comments by 

January 27, 2012. A commenter noted 

the significant interest of its members in 

the rulemaking and requested an 

extension of the comment period given 

the holidays and the need for its 

members to complete projects and 

reports for calendar year 2011. 

DOE has determined that an extension 

of the public comment period is 

appropriate based on the foregoing 

reasons and is hereby extending the 

comment period. DOE will consider any 

comments received by February 27, 

2012. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 20, 

2012. 

Patricia A. Hoffman, 

Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity 

Delivery and Energy Reliability. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1662 Filed 1–25–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE 

AGENCY 

12 CFR Part 1254 

RIN 2590–AA53 

Mortgage Assets Affected by PACE 

Programs 

AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance 

Agency. 

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed 

rulemaking; request for comments; 

Notice of intent to prepare 

environmental impact statement; 

request for scoping comments. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance 

Agency (‘‘FHFA’’) hereby issues this 

Advance Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (‘‘ANPR’’) concerning 

mortgage assets affected by Property 

Assessed Clean Energy (‘‘PACE’’) 

programs and Notice of Intent (‘‘NOI’’) 

to prepare an environmental impact 

statement (‘‘EIS’’) under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (‘‘NEPA’’) to 

address the potential environmental 

impacts of FHFA’s proposed action. 

The United States District Court for 

the Northern District of California 

issued a preliminary injunction ordering 

FHFA ‘‘to proceed with the notice and 

comment process’’ in adopting guidance 

concerning mortgages that are or could 

be affected by PACE programs. 

Specifically, the California District 

Court ordered FHFA to ‘‘cause to be 

published in the Federal Register an 

Advance Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking relating to the statement 

issued by FHFA on July 6, 2010, and the 

letter directive issued by FHFA on 

February 28, 2011, that deal with 

property assessed clean energy (PACE) 

programs.’’ 

In response to and compliance with 

the California District Court’s order, 

FHFA is seeking comment on whether 

the restrictions and conditions set forth 

in the July 6, 2010 Statement and the 

February 28, 2011 Directive should be 

maintained, changed, or eliminated, and 

whether other restrictions or conditions 

should be imposed. FHFA has appealed 

the California District Court’s order to 

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth 

Circuit (the ‘‘Ninth Circuit’’). Inasmuch 

as the California District Court’s order 

remains in effect pending the outcome 

of the appeal, FHFA is proceeding with 

the publication of this ANPR and NOI 

pursuant to that order. The Ninth 

Circuit has stayed, pending the outcome 

of FHFA’s appeal, the portion of the 

California District Court’s Order 

requiring publication of a final rule. 

FHFA reserves the right to withdraw 

this ANPR and NOI should FHFA 

prevail in its appeal, and may in that 

situation continue to address the 

financial risks FHFA believes PACE 

programs pose to safety and soundness 

through means other than notice-andcomment rulemaking. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before March 26, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit your 

comments, identified by regulatory 

information number (RIN) 2590–AA53, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov: Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. If 

you submit your comment to the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also 

send it by email to FHFA at 

RegComments@fhfa.gov to ensure 

timely receipt by FHFA. Please include 

‘‘RIN 2590–AA53’’ in the subject line of 

the message. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS